KPK Searches East Java BPN Regional Office for 11 Hours, Carries Out Suitcases and Boxes

Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched the East Java Regional Office of the Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) in Surabaya on Thursday (24/9) for about 11 hours. The quiet operation lasted from 10.00 WIB to 20.57 WIB, and investigators were seen leaving the location carrying several suitcases and boxes, escorted by two fully armed Brimob personnel.

According to local security officers, the group of investigators arrived at 10.00 WIB in three to four vehicles. Since their arrival, no one was allowed to leave the office area. Dozens of East Java ATR/BPN Regional Office employees were reported to have been held inside the building and were only able to go home after 21.00 WIB. Media crews covering the event were even barred from approaching, including from being in the office yard.

KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed the marathon search. "Yes, that's correct. Today, investigators again carried out a search. The search today was conducted at the East Java BPN Regional Office," he said when confirmed. He stated that the search was a continuation of the investigation into an alleged corruption case within the Ministry of ATR/BPN in the East Java region.

The day before, Wednesday (23/9), the KPK first searched the Mojokerto BPN office. From that location, the investigation team secured a number of documents, electronic evidence, and several envelopes containing money suspected to have come from land service applicants. These findings strengthened suspicions of bribery or gratification in the processing of land certificates in the area.

This case highlights the vulnerability of land governance in Indonesia. The ATR/BPN sector has long been known as a corruption-prone area because it involves licensing, certification, and land dispute processes with high economic value. Searches at two different offices on two consecutive days indicate a serious investigation that may ensnare more parties, including structural officials and business actors.

"We will convey every development, as a form of the KPK's commitment to carrying out the legal process transparently," Budi concluded.

For the people of East Java, especially land service applicants, this KPK step is a test of the institution's integrity. If abuse of authority is proven, public trust in the land certification process could erode. The impact is not only on property investment, but also on legal certainty over land rights, which is the foundation of the region's social and economic stability.

Going forward, the public awaits whether the KPK will name new suspects or expand the investigation to other regional offices. Transparency and speed of handling will be indicators of the seriousness of corruption eradication in the land sector, which has so far been one of the largest contributors to corruption cases in Indonesia.